3DogNate

Yeah no doubt. I have just been using the camera on my Palm Pre phone. It's passable as a cam barely. But it's always with me. I have a better camera but rarely use it for in progress pictures... I've actually been keeping my eye ouy for a good deal on a decent camera to keep in the shop at all times... But for now the phone cam will probably have to do until the finished beauty shots. Thanks for the compliments though.

Mango Only CNC used on this one was on the headstock veneer and inlay... everything else is pretty old school... I've only used the CNC on Electric stuff... and I just finished building the CNC machine you see.. so I've not really even broken it in yet. The spalted Mango is pretty soft like Spanish Cedar or a really light Mahogany... Bends like a dream. I bent this one on a pipe, I was scared to do in the bender because of the spalt... But it bent quite easily.

Here is the body closed up. The top is Adirondack Spruce with an Ebony Rosette and Rosewood binding with BWB purfling. Here I am fitting the rough Honduras Mahogany neck blank to the body and getting it aligned. Here is the rough carved Neck And the head stock Ebony Veneer with my inlaid logo.

I'm in progress of building an L-00 Sized acoustic. I've only sparsely photo documented what I've done so far. I'm going to start this thread with what I've got so far and start posting some more shots as I continue. This is the back set raw after joining them Here the Sides are in the mold Then a quick jump to after the back is braced and attached to the lined and trimmed side set.

Ha he think you built it....

Seal it with a coat of shellac and proceed as normal.

Bill Blue... Non-pore filled woods and glossy finishes do not go together well... you lost me there... BigDGuitars... I really like the dressed up Double cut flat top look.. Could have pore filled the Mahogany... Otherwise a nice build (Not a fan of gold hardware... but no need to complain about that as it's apersonal choice.) Boggs... I just really don't like your little symetrical body shape. Looks weird and neck heavy. I'm sure the folks buying them are loving them. But it's really coarse on my eye. Hufschmid... Now this is looking more like a GOTM. The Sapele is gorgeous and I like the take on the Gibson RD/Firebird shape.I gotta try out one of the Hannes bridges soon... looks comfy. And a kill switch for whipping out a cover of Jordan at a show... And guys look how classy the oil finish looks without pore filling. Satin finishes look great with no pore filling... The string retainer I'm not a big fan of... maybe something a bit more dainty like a Floyd rose retainer bar would have been a better choice cosmetically. SwedishLuthier... MMMMM Metal Flake. Love it... and the fret markers are cool. Nice Modern-Retro look.. I like it. Scatter Lee... Shiny or Satin... pick one. That's definitely a tweener finish, could be better. Hate the headstock, and hate the trussrod cover even more. And That strat jack just looks out of place. I DO like the body shape though and the pickguard works nice. Wyrd... That's really cool.. I like it. Workmanship is good. I like your choices. Nice job. Chile... NICE!!! The finish looks first class! you should be proud. Good job on this build. < My Pick based on concept and level of execution.

Carved tops are a pain in the ass to bind. But I know that you'll make this one look great you always do excellent finishes... but with a quick jig you can plan a natural finished top with gorgeous binding. And be able to do it with less effort and clean up than you do now. Keep working hard Osorio.

Were you using a hand held router? Those carved tops need some jiggery to keep the bit vertical at all times... luckily the guitars like the Les Paul have flat backs so it's pretty easy ... Check this link for a VERY simple jig to make your binding channels turn out very nice on carved top (Flat back instruments like a Les Paul. http://theaccidentalluthier.blogspot.com/2009/03/binding-part-2.html'>http://theaccidentalluthier.blogspot.com/2009/03/binding-part-2.html http://theaccidentalluthier.blogspot.com/

Yeah that binding ledge is nasty lookin... I was doing binding all weekend with the basic Stew Mac bit and got perfect results... I've no idea what you used to make that binding ledge... but whatever it is destroy it...

Use water thin CA glue. Get it from a hobby store... Most Super Glue style glues from the big box stores is either a Medium or Thick consistency... hard to wet down a gap with that stuff... The Thin stuff is what you want when you are doing a fill with sawdust as it will penetrate and flood the area. Don't use accelerator or it'll turn white with most CAs. (there are exceptions)

+1 for the AllParts Rod... Not going back to the Hot Rod... just too many issues with it. No longer a fan. When I do use a Hot Rod... I just use a 1/4" bit with it. It's not loose in a 1/4" channel. I've got the proper bit but don't use it.

Yes keep it thin with many coats... or it'll look like **** for sure. Keep it thin and it'll look as good as anything can.

Looks like you are doing a fine job... Still waiting for you to do some thing of your own and not a look a like... Teles and Les Pauls and Strats get kinda boring. Your build quality is clean enough for you to do your own thing. (I say this to encourage you to start thinking as a designer+bulider rather than a copy+builder. You have the skills now take it somewhere new.)

Nice... Needs a big MOP "R" inlaid on the headstock... Not having a control recess makes it appear to be a pre-Ed Roman era B.C. Rich. Yeah that one might have gotten an oil finish at the factory or a gloss one... who knows.. but a Tru-Oil or Danish oil finish would be appropriate if you wanted to go with a rubbed finish rather than a spray one. There are lots of good oil finishing tutorials on the net... I'd suggest googling around for that. Great find though... for sure my favorite of the B.C. Rich's. I had a Bernie Rico era Eagle from around '78 when I was 19 around '89... wish I had that back ... (Hind Sight is 20/20)

Mild soap and water solution... don't rub hard or you'll make a shiny spot...

And the gloss doesn't "really" have a gloss until it's been leveled and polished. (Unlike Nitro, Polyester, 2k Urethane which under all the right conditions can 98% ready to go out the door off the gun.)

It's not that I have a problem or can't get it done... it's just a lot easier if I can get to it next day. oh, and Polyester buffs like a dream... to bad I can't spray it in the basement.

I'll usually start at 600 and run only up to 1000 for nitro. Then work through medium and fine then hand polish with Meguire's #7. For 2K finishes I'll work up to 1500 if I can get to it within 48 hrs... if longer then I'll work up to 2000... no way to skip medium on 2k (or any finish) Waterbased buffs about like nitro. Starting with the coarser grits like starting at 600>800>1000>1500>2000 and and buffing with medium>fine (or even coarser) are what gives the finish it's flat, smooth base to build gloss on... if you start wet sanding at 1000 and start buffing to a gloss from there then you'll get shine but it's potentially wavy. The coarse grit foundation is pretty key to getting ultra flat level finishes.

Can't speak for any of those... but I just tried out Target EM-6000 and it worked like a charm... It doesn't apply quite the same as nitro. You have to use waterborne techniques that are unique to waterbornes... keep the coats thin and thinner. If you lay down very wet coats youll develop a milky look... keep them thin and build up gradually and it'll be water clear. It is tintable. You can use trans tints for the translucent finishes... Stew Mac Sells tints and opaques for waterbornes also. This guitar was finished in EM-6000 the back was EM-6000 with Stew Mac Black opaque added the top is just clear on a red dyed top.

There is also a "Buffing Window" on all of these 2 part auto urethanes. I know that the one I use needs to be buffed within 24-48 hrs or it is sooo friggin hard to buff out even with proper buffing rig and Menzerna compounds. If I can get to it in that window then it's a piece of cake. I've never be able to shine out even 2000 grit properly with hand held buffers.... can get close but not all the way. Until I got access to a friends big buffing station my finishes were only so-so... now they look like proper factory finishes. Now Mrs. Santa is bringing me my own StewMac buffing rig... I'm wicked excited about not having to bust over to a buddies house to buff proper.

Looks good for such a fast build... However I'm not a fan of the thick wooden pickguard... nor the front mounted jack. Aside from those 2 things I'm a fan of the overall build.

Except that Ed Roman is a self-serving spin doctor doing whatever he can to say how great his stuff is compared to everyone else. I've had the opportunity to play a Roman Scorpion and a Roman Quicksilver and they are no bullsh!t extremely finely fitted and finished instruments... I can't fault playability, tone or appearance of the two examples that I've encountered. What ever Ed's doin' he's doing it right... even if he comes across as jerky to some... to others he's like a BFF. I've not met him but the guy with the Scorpion delt directly with him and said he was great to deal with, very direct but just fine.

Coolness... I've got a weakness for Performance Guitars. A guy I played with in a band a few years back had an original Performance Flame guitar played great.... rather delicate. He ended up trading it for a first year Jem.

Yeah I'm with RestorationAD on the finish. Looks like you've built too much gloss up to still have open pores... I'd knock back the gloss with some 0000 steel wool for a nice clean sheen that actually works well with open pores. Gloss and open pores just looks like a poor finishing job... The guitar is nice otherwise... and good call on the black control cover, the raw aluminum was horrid.